Dallas pastors trade places to help bridge racial gap

Two pastors acknowledge racial tension in Dallas, calling it a "tale of two cities." They hope what they did on Palm Sunday won't just build a bridge between their congregations, but over the racial divide in their city.
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Park Cities Baptist Church is a predominantly white congregation in north Dallas. On Sunday, March 29, 2015, the church's senior pastor, the Rev. Jeff Warren, preached at Concord Church in south Dallas.(Photo: WFAA-TV, Dallas-Fort Worth)

"How do we love each other if we don't know each other?" asked the Rev. Jeff Warren, senior pastor of Park Cities Baptist Church, a predominantly white congregation in North Dallas.

Last week, University of Oklahoma president David Boren said an investigation found that the racially insensitive Sigma Alpha Epsilon chant captured on video originated from a national leadership cruise sponsored by the national fraternity four years ago.

With an African-American pastor taking the helm at a predominantly white church, and vice versa, their congregations are finding they can both celebrate differences and find common ground.

"It's the same word, we're all for the same cause, which is bringing those to Christ," said Curtis Robinson, member of Concord Church.

Concord Church is a predominantly African-American congregation in south Dallas. On Sunday, March 29, 2015, the church's senior pastor, the Rev. Bryan Carter, preached at Park Cities Baptist Church in north Dallas.(Photo: WFAA-TV, Dallas-Forth Worth)

"We hope that our kids know there is no variation, we are one people," said Cari Trotter, a member of Park Cities Baptist Church.

Both pastors acknowledge a racial divide in Dallas, calling it a "tale of two cities." And both say faith should lead the way in bridging the gap.

"In Christ there's no race, there's no black or white, or ethnicity or nationality," Warren said. "This is a global movement."

The idea started with a friendship between both pastors. And they say they won't stop here. Their congregations are working together behind the scenes, and hope to include more churches in the fall.

"I've got to make sure I'm cultivating relationships across racial lines and I don't just stay in my comfort zone," Carter said.